Rules… Rules… Rules – Best Practices for Parents
Are you a parent that is considering taking your child to the golf course for the first time? If so, hopefully in this blog I can share a couple of best practices to make this experience more relaxing and enjoyable for you and your little’en.
For parents, the fear of the unknown associated with taking your child to the golf course can be taxing… especially for the first time. For the child, everything is new… so establishing the rules, etiquette and your expectations on the front end is key.
My best practices include the following:
- Pick the right time This is a key, as you want to identify the right time when there are course is not as busy (lower your stress load). I suggest you go out to the golf course late on Sunday evenings. During this time you can bring the entire family and there will be lots of other kids whacking the ball.
- Explain the rules (on the way to the course). Use this time while driving to the course to really explain why the rules on the golf course are important. Stress a few like: i) using your inside voice, ii) no running iii) using manners with people you meet.
- Reinforce the rules (in the parking lot before you step onto the course). Make an extra point to reinforce the rules while you’re getting out of your car… and stepping onto the course. Make sure they know when they walk onto the course; they have to turn their golf manners on.
We all can agree that there is nothing worse than a kid running around out of control on the golf course. Make sure when on each journey you make to the golf course, be sure to reinforce the importance of the rules. Enjoy the game!
Question for Parents – What suggestions do you have for other parents on this topic?